Refrigeration apparatus



April 7, 1936. J. ASKIN ET AL REFRIGERATION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1954 Zinnmtom m w l ,1. ASKIN ET AL REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed July 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zinnentou Asap/i Ail/)1 nbaqala filed! Gttorneg latented Apr. 7, 1936 I 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATION APPARATUS oseph Askiu and Joseph D. Lear, Buffalo, N. Y.,

assignors to Fedders Inc., Bufialo, N. Y.

Application July 1'1,

' 3 Claims.

tarded by mechanical diificulties and installa-.

tion costs. In ic'eing a refrigerator car, it is 10 nal walls of the car and the products stored therein, such loss often occurring before the car has left the loading platform. As a result, reiceing, or the alternative of carrying a larger ice supply on non-stop trips, is resorted to, wit the attendant time or space loss.

The present invention provides a portable mechanical cooling apparatus which is devised to cool the car and the products therein before the ice is stored in the bunkers, with the dual object of conserving ice and of forcibly circulat- 7 ing cold air throughout the car in a mannerwhich would not be possible by-convexion alone.

The apparatus is in the form of a mobile unit comprising a truck which serves as amounting means for a compact refrigeration system including a unit cooler of the forced draft type. This apparatus may be wheeled into position adjacent a refrigerator car, and, through the provision of a derrick device thereon, the cooler may be lowered into the ice bunker through the hatch thereof to cool and circulate air throughout the interior of the car.

The invention; also comprehends the use of an accumulator system wherein a brine tank of large capacity is cooled -by a refrigeration system during inactive periods, so that upon demand for the service of the apparatus,- the 40 brine may be forced through the unit cooler to service a number of cars in succession, without a strain on the refrigeration system or'the nec'essit'y for heavy equipment. 1

Other features of the invention reside in the cooperative structures for operating both the refrigeration system and brine pump and a simple control system for the apparatus in which there is no necessity for a skilled operator. These and other features of the invention are more specifically set forth in. the accompanying specification and drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the mobile cooling device with the unit cooler thereof positioned over the hatch of a refrigerating car;

wellknown that up to 25 percent of the stored ice is usedinfinitially cooling the various inter- Manufacturing Company,

1934, serial No. 735,559 (on. 52-1-11 .Fig. 2 is awiring diagram of motors and the controls therefor;

the. electric Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofthe device on a reduced scale, showing the process of introducing the cooling unit into the ice bunker'ofa refrigeration car. 7

The cooling apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1, is

which-are mounted on the platform Ill of a hand truck I l or similar mobile vehicle. A large tank l2 adapted to contain brine is mounted on one extremity of the platfor and it is preferably insulated in a manner well known in'the art, that is, the walls are ofinsulating material l3, sheathed on the interior and exterior by metallic shells, l4 and I5 respectively.

The brine in the tank I2 is mechanically refrigerated by a mechanism which is also mount- 'ed on the truck platform. For exemplary purposes, such mechanism is -shown asbeing of the conventional dry system, including a cooling coil I! located within 'the tank I2, the input extremity l8 of which communicates with a condenser I9 with the remaining extremity 21 being directed to, the suction fitting of a compressor 22 which is driven by a motor 20. The delivery fitting of the c mpressor -22 is conformed of a plurality of related elements, all of v nectedto the condenser I by a pipe 23 to com-- o I plete the refrigerant circuit.

The, refrigerant circuit also includes a control .valve 24 for metering the refrigerant supply to the coil I! in response to temperature-conditions in the tank l2. The valve 24 is preferably of the thermostatic type, and it is interposed in the input extremity [8 of the coil ll. The thermostatic bulb 25 of the valve is submerged in the brine tank and it communicates with the valve through a tube 26. The remaining control for Cold brine is withdrawn from the bottom of the tank l2, through a conduit 28, pump 29, and

a flexible outlet conduit 3iv to a unit cooler 32, whence it is returned to the tank through a flexible return conduit 33, motor 20 are axially aligned on the platform I0 and their shafts 34" and 35 respectively are. coupled by a clutch 36 which maybe operated by a clutch leveriil to disengage the connection.

With regard to .the unit-cooler 32, while it is The pump 29 and proposed that any device of this nature beutilized,- the type herein illustrated is similar to that shown in 'copending application. Serial No. 666,461,1i1ed April 17, 1933, having a finned coil 43 (Fig. 2) whose extremities are connected to the conduits 31 and 33. A tubular shell 4| houses the coil in a position in slight angularity to the' axis of the shell, and it also serves as a mounting means for a motor 42 which operates a fan 43 to the effect that a stream of air is directed through the coil 40.

The truck H is provided with means for positioning the unit cooler 32 so that it may be placed in and removed from the enclosure to be cooled with the greatest facility. In the present assembly it is intended that the cooler 32 be lowered into thebunker of a refrigerator car through the hatch thereof, as indicated by the numeral 45 in Fig. 1. For this purpose the positioning means is in the form of a derrick, in cluding a mast 46 secured to the side of the tank I 2 and a horizontal boom 48 pivoted to the top of the mast by a clevis fitting 41. The projecting extremity of the boom is provided with a depending plate 49 which is pivotally secured to a bracket 5| secured to the shell 4| of the unit cooler 32. tween the other extremity of the boom and a Windlass 53 which is mounted on the top of the tank 12 by bearings 54. A handwheel 55, secured to the shaft of-the Windlass, provides a means for operating the Windlass, and, consequently,

a means for controlling the vertical positioning of the cooler 32. v

To simplify the operation of the device, the clutch lever 31 is suitably connected so that the act of coupling the shafts simultaneously closes the circuits for both the motors 23 and 42. .Fig. 2 more specifically shows this feature, wherein a rod 56' mounted in a pedestal 51 is secured to the lever 31 and it is provided with an arm 58 which is connected to a link 59. The link 59 enters a switch box 6| which is located adjacent to the pedestal, where it is operatively connected to a single throw switch 52. mentioned pressure controlled switch, 21 is also mounted within the box BI and it may be briefly described as a bellows 63 communicating with the suction side of the compressor through the conduit 21a, and being expansible .under high pressure conditions to connect contacts 64 and 65.

The motor 20 is provided with one terminal which is directly connected through wire 65' to one lead of the power circuit, while the remaining terminal is connected to the contact 65 by wire 61. Contact 64 is connected to the remaining lead of the power circuit by wire 58, so that the expansion of the bellows will close the motor circuit "under predetermined pressure conditions in the refrigerant circuit.

The arm of the switch 62 is connected to the wire 68 and it is adapted to engage a contact 63 which is connected to the wire 61. It will be obvious, therefore, that when the lever 31 is moved to couple the shafts 34 and 35, the switch 62 will close the circuit of the motor 20, thus supplanting the closing function of the-pressure switch 21 and causing the motor 20, and thereby the compressor 22 and pump 23, to operate continuously.

The circuit for the cooler fan motor 42 includes a wire 10 connecting one terminal to the wire 66 and one side of the main power line, and a second wire 1| connected to the remaining terminal and terminating in a switch point 12 adapted to be engaged by the switch 62 simultaneously with the closing of the circuit for the motor 20; Thus the operation of the' clutch A cable 52 is secured be-.

The previously v .lever to couple the shafts 34 and 35 closes the circuits for both motors 20 and 42.

During inactive periods, the truck may be,

stored in a suitable place without disconnecting the power circuit. The refrigeration system thus remains operative and functions in the usual manner; that is, the compressor is intermittently driven'by the motor 20, which is responsive to the pressure controlled switch21, while the thermostatic valve, during such cycles, meters therefrigerant supply to the brine cooling coil H,

in response to' temperature conditions in the tank 12. Accordingly, the brine in the tank I2 is gradually reducedto a low temperature and subsequently retained at such temperature by the refrigeration system.

Upon a demand forits service, the truck is wheeled into position adjacent a refrigerator car or other enclosure with the unit cooler 32 positioned immediately above the open'hatch of the ice bunker. By operating the Windlass 53, the derrick boom is lowered and the accompanying cooler 32 is positioned within the bunker. A suitable cover may then be placed over the hatch to prevent the escape of cold air during the cooling operation. I

The clutch lever 31 is subsequently operated to couple the clutch shaft 35 to the motor shaft 34, thereby causing the pump 29 to circulate I cold brine from the tank l2, through the conduit previously described, the act of throwing ,the

clutch lever 31 operates the switch 62 which closes the circuit for continuous operation of the motors 20 and 42. The motor 42 operates the fan 43 which directs the heated air in the car through the brine cooled coil 40, to the effect that heat is absorbed by the circulating brine and the car is cooled to the desired degree.

In view of thefact that the device is in active use only intermittently, the large supply of brine in the tank l2 performs the function of a cold" accumulator, as the refrigerating unit may be of a small capacity compared to the peak demand loads of cooling the 'cars, and yet, due to the hold-over or cold storage effects of the brine, it may be adequate to cool the brine to a very low temperature during the relativel long periods of inactivity.

After the car has been cooled to a sufflcient degree, the clutch is thrown out, thus simultaneously deenergizing the motors 20 and 42, and the cooling unit 32 is removed from the hatch. The truck is then moved to the next car, where the operation is repeated, while the bunkers of the car which has been cooled are then loaded with ice. This progressive cooling and iceing process has been found to produce economies not heretofore obtained, as the cooling of a warm car conserves a considerable supply of ice which otherwise would be used in cooling the car; thus the effective life of the ice supply and design of the derrick may be made to suit the environment of use of the unit 32, without the cooler, a refrigeration system including a cooling coil disposed in the tank, a compressor,-

and a motor for driving the compressor, an electric circuit for the motor, a switch responsive to temperature variations in the coil for controlling the circuit, a second switch operable to shunt said first switch and thereby to permit continuous operation of saidmotor, a clutch connection operable to connect the pump for operation by the motor, and means actuated by the operation of said clutch connection for operating said second switch.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a brine tank, a portable unit cooler having flexible input and output connections leading to the tank, a motor driven fan for circulating air through the cooler, a pump for directing brine from the tank to the cooler, a refrigeration system includ' ing a cooling coil disposed in the tank, a compressor, and a motor for driving the compressor, electric circuits for the fan motor and the compressor motor, a switch operable in response to temperature variations in the coil to control the compressor motor circuit, a second switch operable to shunt said first switch and thereby to permltcontinuous operation of the compressor motor, said second switch being simultaneously' operable to close the circuit for the fan motor, a clutch connection operable to connect the pump for operation by the compressor motor, and means actuated by the operation of said clutch connection for operating said second switch.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a truck, a brine tank mounted on the truck, a unit cooler having flexible input and output connections leading to the tank, a derrick mounted on the truck and carrying said cooler, a pump on the truck for directing brine from the tank to the cooler, a refrigeration system on the truck including a cooling coil disposed in the tank, a compressor, and a motor for driving the 'compressor, an electric circuit for the motor, a switch responsive to temperature variations in the coil for controlling the circuit, a second switch operable to shunt said first switch and thereby to permit continuous operation of the motor, a clutch connection operable to connect the pump for operation by the motor, and means actuated by the operation of said clutch for operating said second switch.

' JOSEPH ASKIN,

JOSEPH D. LEAR. 

